Apparatus for treating the contents of filled cans



Jam. 7, 1930. GARDNER 1,742,244

APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE CONTENTS OF FILLED CANS Original Filed April 1, 1926 \0 2 65026.;- GGIZDNE? Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE T0 LINCOLN v. aronnsou,

OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE CONTENTS OF FILLED CANS Application filed April 1, 1926, Serial No. 98,975. Renewed May 29, 1929.

This invention relates particularly to an apparatus for thermally treating the contents of lilled cans.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus inlo which lilled cans may be passed, and the contents of the said cans heated or cooled for a pre-determined period of time prior to discharging the said cans from the apparatus.

. A further object of the invention is to provi de an apparatus for heating or cooling the contents of filled cans by rolling the cans in a pre-determined path from the intake of the apparatus to the discharge thereof, the. said cans being so guided during their progress through the apparatus that the same cannot twist or tilt to clog or jam the apparatus and render the same inoperative until the spoiled can has been removed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a casing having an inlet and a discharge, a spiral pathway comprised of complementary halves through which the packaged goods to be treated may be moved from the inlet to the discharge by a driven element that follows the contour of the spiral pathway and during the time that the packaged goods aremoving through the pathway in the casing, the same are subjected to a suitable predeterminedtemperature regulated by external means. Other objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus for treating'packaged goods that is superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility-and convenience in use and general efficicncy. I v

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to-be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood fr that in and by the claims following the ,descrlption, itis desired to coverv the invention in whatsoever formit may be embodied.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings ig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of an apparatus for treating paekgged goods constructed in accordance with" my invention.

FFig. 2 is a cross section taken through i 1.' filany types of apparatus have been constructed for the cooking or cooling of canned goods, or for treating packaged goods so as to preserve the contents thereof in an edible c011- dition. There are, as a general rule, two types of apparatus used for thermally treating packaged goods; one being an apparatus that is filled with the packaged goods and the same treated, either by heating or chilling the contents of the packaged goods for a predetermined period of time, after which the said packaged goods are removed; and the other being of the continuous process type, wherein a continual stream of packaged goodspasses through the apparatus, for a period of time sufficient to treat the contents of the cans either by heat or cold, so as to properly preserve the contents thereof. The continuous process apparatus is the preferred form and it is used in the majority of all canneries and other places where cans or packaged goods are packed, for the reason that the continuous process permits a greater quantity of goods to be treated within a given period of time, the apparatus is more economical to operate, the amount of floor space required for the apparatus is relatively small, and the amount of goods lost during the treating operation is reduced below that of other forms of cookers or coolers. The continuous process apparatus is built in either of two forms :one in which the packaged goods are moved between the inlet and discharge port of a casing by an endless chain or belt, on a substantially horizontal plane, and the other form,-a casing having the usual inlet and outlet port therein together with a spiral can path formed on the interior of the casing and around which the filled cans are advanced by means of a can carrying ame or ejector from the inlet to the discharge. In either of the above-descrihed forms of continuous process apparatus, it sometimes happens that one or more cans will become disarranged or clogged on the can path, to such an extent that the continuous stream of cans will be stopped until such time as the dislocated can has been removed.

Whenever it becomes necessary to stop a continuous process apparatus on account of a can jam, a great dealof time and money is lost, and the product that is being treated and is stopped by the can jam, must be thrown away, due to the fact that by the time it is taken from the apparatus it will be either under treated or over treated. My invention contemplates an apparatus for treating packaged goods thermally wherein it will be practically impossible for the cans to jam or clog during their progress and also an apparatus in which each individual can is rolled on its periphery from the intake of the machine to the discharge thereof, and at no time is any one of the cans allowed sufiicient freedom of movement that the same can move out of the pre-determined can path. a p

In detail, the construction illustrated in the drawings comprises an outer casing or cylinder 51 that is preferably circular in cross section, and has its opposite ends closed by the cover plates 2 and 3. The bottom side of the casing 51 is supported upon le s of any desirable shape and character. cylinder 52 is arranged concentrically within the outer cylinder 51. A T-bar 53 or other can track is wound spirally around the exterior of the cylinder 52 and extends from one end thereof to the other. The said T-bar has the leg 10 thereof rojected outwardly and the windings of t e spiral are spaced uniformly and e uidistant from adjacent windings so as to orm a true and accurate path for the cansor goods, passing through the machine, to roll upon. The spiral can track 53 is formed concentrically about the axis of the cylinder 52 so that the spiral can track lies in concentric spaced relation with the outer cas- 51. The spiral track 53 around the cyl- P inder 52 is in reality an internal cylinder that is spaced from the enclosing casing 51. An intake 54 for admitting cans -or packaged goods through the casing the spiral can track 53 is arranged adjacent one endof the casing 51, and at the opposite end of the casing, a discharge port 55 1s provided therethrough.

In the event that it would be .desirable to heat the interior of the-casing-51, steam, hot water, hot air or any other desirable heating medium is admitted through the pipe 26 into j to the-interior of the casing 51 in a desirable amount necessary to accomplish the results desired. If it is desired to use the apparatus for cooling the contents of cans or packaged oods, a cooling medium 1s conducted to the interior of the casing 51 throughthe'pipe'26 P until the cooling results are accomplished. It is the usual thing to cool or chill filled cans or other packaged goods in an apparatus that is substantially the same in its construction as that in which'the cans or packaged goods have been heated and cooked, and for that through the machine,

51 into the start of sitioning the spiral reason, it is' to be understood that what has been said with reference to the use of the apparatus for cooking purposes will apply equally as well to the use of the apparatus for cooling purposes. I

The cans or packaged goods to be treated are rolled through the inlet 5 1 into the first winding of the spiral can path 53, and between the spaced ejectorbars 59 that are used for moving the cans through the sipral can path. The cans are discharged through the outlet 55 by some suitable mechanisms, not shown.

The interior face of the casin 51 on the one hand,'and the spiral can path 53 on the other hand, form spaced complementary guides in and through which the cans or packaged goods to be treated are moved when passed through the machine. For the sake of illustration, it may be assumed that the casing 51 and spiral'winding 53 cooperate to form a complementary spiral can track through which the cans are moved by means of the can moving or ejector bars 59, which move between the opposite complementary halves of the can track so as to space the cans from each other and to move them from the can intake to the can discharge on the can track. The can moving bars 59 limit the freedom of movement of each one of the cans that is placed on the spiral can path, thereby preventing the cans from becoming cramped or twisted to cause a can jam, and-positively moving each and every can around the spiral can path from the intaketo the discharge. Each of the can moving bars 59 acts as an ejector and the same are adapted to move the cans or packaged goods on the spiral track so that the axes of the cans or packaged goods substantially parallel the axis of the spiral athway. I wish to emphasize that the cans roll with their axes parallel to the axis of the can path spiral, so as to distinguish from any apparatus in which the cans may be moved around a spiral can path on their ends. My apparatus is adapted to be operated on a horizontal planeonly, and for that reason it is best to pass the cans therethrough when the axes of the cans to be treated are also placed in a substantially horizontal position. My apparatus could not be operated by pocan path vertically, due to the fact that I would then have to make an entire re-arrangement of the can inlet and can discharge, and I would also have to makedifierent provision for keeping-the cans in position while the. same were being passed aroililnd the vertically positioned spiral can at a In the invention shown in Figs? 1 and 2, I provide a closed ended outer cylinder 51 and a concentrically arranged inner cylin der 52. The inner and outer cylinders are spaced apart and a can track 53 is wound spirally or helically around the exterior of the inner cylinder adapted to hold a cooking or cooling water.

The can track projects within the space formed between the inner and outer cylinform the completed the end thereof opposite the ders and't'he said can, track cooperates with the interior face of the outer cylinder to can track. Au inlet 54 is provided at one end of the outer casing above the Water level therein by means of which the cans or packaged goods to be treated may be moved intothe initial winding of the spiral can track. A can discharge 55, is provided through the outer cylinder at can intake above the Water level therein, so that cans or packaged goods that have passed through the entire length of the spiral can track during the process of treatment may be discharged therefrom. Around the circumference of the inner cylinder at equidistant points adacent each of the opposite ends thereof, 1

have journaled a plurality of rollers 56. Ring gears 57 and 58 are rotatably mounted on the rollers 56 at each of the opposite ends of the inner cylinder. The ring gears 57 and 58 are joinedtogether by the longitudinally extended can moving bars or shifters 59, arranged lengthwise in the space between the inner and outercylinders, and between the opposite halves of the can path formed by the spiral can track on one side and the outer" cylinder on the other side. The ring gears 5-7 and 58 are meshed with drive gears 60 and 61, that are fixedly secured to a drive shaft 62 rotatably journaled on the exterior of the outer cylinder 51.

Having thus described this invention,-what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus to treat 'filled cans comprised of a closed ended casing; ranged in concentric relation within the first mentioned casing; a spiral can track around the second mentioned casing; rollers journaledaround: the periphery of the second mentioned casing adjacent the opposite ends thereof; an annular can shifter rotatably mounted on-the rollers 'on the secondmentione'd casing to rotate in the space between the inner and outer casings to advance cans the length of the spiral track; means to rotate the can shifter; an inlet in the casing to admit filled cans into the spiral track; and an outlet in registry with the can track to discharge filled cans from the casing.

2. An apparatus to treat fille'd cans comprised of a pair of concentrically arranged casings; a closure to cover each of the opposite open ends of said casings; a spiral can track in the space between the concentric casings; rollers around the circumference of the inner casing adjacent the opposite ends thereof; a can shifter, to move cans the length of the spiral track, rotatably mounted on the rollers around the inner casing in the space between the inner and outer casings; means extended through the outer casing to rotate the can shifter; means to supply filled cans through the splral can track to be treated; and means to discharge filled cans that have been treat-- casing.

3. An apparatus to treat filled cans comprised of a casing having a ring shaped cross section, a can inlet and a can outlet for said casing; means to advance cans through said casing in a spiral path from said inlet to said outlet, rollers mounted on the circumference of said casing adjacent opposite ends thereof; an annular can shifter rotatably mounted on the rollers on the casing to rotate inside thereof to advance cans, the length of the spiral path; and means to rotate the shifter.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 10th day of March, 1926.

GEORGE D. GARDNER.

ed from the spiral track through the outer a casing arthe outer casing to 

